This is Kasey-Anne and Katey-Anne's third years at the Vibes. They were accompanied by their parents, Brackett and Carey Clark.

The couple started following the Grateful Dead in college, joining the tight-knit community of West Coast Dead Heads. Now, they've found the same kind of kinship at the Gathering of the Vibes.

"At the Kids Tent, they said welcome home," Carey Clark said. "It really does feel that way -- every year you feel like you're being welcomed back home."

Dog days of the Vibes: The Gathering of the Vibes is going to the dogs.

Lilly, a 5-year-old weimaraner, and Kaia, a 9-month-old Pitbull mix, were playing as their owners, Melissa Gilbert and her 13-year-old son, Jacob, watched Railroad Earth perform at the Gathering of the Vibes Friday.

Gilbert, of Cazenovia, N.Y., decided to bring her hounds along for protection and companionship.

"It makes me feel more relaxed having them here, especially at night when we're hanging out in the camp," she said.

Gilbert said Lilly is more standoffish, preferring to stick by "the people she knows and loves," while Kaia "wants to play and be involved in everything."

Kaia got a little feisty at one point, prompting Gilbert to exert a little discipline. It was to be expected, though -- it's Kaia's first year at the Gathering of the Vibes, and "she's a little excited," Gilbert said.

"It's totally understandable," she said.

Portraits of the Dead: When Jerry Garcia passed away in 1995, painter Phil Kunto thought it a fitting tribute to immortalize the Grateful Dead frontman in a series of portraits.

"I wanted to pay homage to Jerry," said Kunto, who has been coming to the Vibes for years. "The pieces were really popular."